Meredith Johnson asked Sylvia Engdahl:

Which age range did you have in mind when you wrote "The Far Side of Evil"?

Sylvia Engdahl I intended it for high school age. In the era in which it was first published there was no such thing as a Young Adult category; everything not published as adult fiction was issued as a "children's book." Unfortunately, to my great dismay the publisher labeled it "age 10-14" on the jacket because that was the age range that sold best, and because "Enchantress from the Stars," which was popular, was suitable for that age (though it too was originally meant for teenagers). I have always regretted connecting "The Far Side of Evil" so specifically to "Enchantress" -- it could have had a different heroine. But when I wrote it, "Enchantress" hadn't yet been published and I didn't foresee that my books would be given to children as young as 10 or 11. I don't believe "The Far Side of Evil" is appropriate for those under 14.

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